Another crane manufacturer has thrown its hat into the legal ring after the U.S. government announced antidumping measures against Japanese crane manufacturers.
Kobelco Construction Machinery and Kobelco Construction Machinery U.S.A. filed an action with the U.S. Court of International Trade on September 23 seeking judicial review of the July 23 federal anti-dumping decision against Japanese manufacturers of lattice-boom crawler cranes, which now face higher tariffs to enter the U.S.
The decision from the U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Commerce followed a claim filed by Manitowoc that accused Japanese manufacturers of “predatory dumping” by selling cranes at less than fair value, in violation of the Tariff Act of 1930.
“KCM and KCMU remain confident in the competitiveness, performance and value of their products and have proudly served customers in North America for many years, establishing long-standing relationships with customers, dealers, rental companies, and other stakeholders across the construction industry,” the Kobelco companies said in a press release. “Seeking judicial review of the ITC’s determination is consistent with the companies' commitment to ensuring that all relevant facts and legal issues receive appropriate consideration through the judicial process.”
Powered byKobelco said the appeal does not affect ongoing operations in North America, and both companies remain committed to the market.
This isn’t the first Japanese-based manufacturer to protest the new ruling. Shortly after it was announced, Link-Belt — owned by Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Heavy Industries — sought to overturn the decision.
Link-Belt issued a statement July 24 saying the ruling “contains significant errors and runs afoul of the law.”
Manitowoc filed its original complaint with the ITC on April 10, 2025, alleging Japanese competitors were “materially injuring, or threatening material injury to, the lattice boom crawler cranes industry in the United States.” Manitowoc's crane brands include Manitowoc, Grove, Potain and National Crane.
The ITC’s January 2026 preliminary report found Kobelco was, at the time, subjected to a 2.79% weighted-average dumping margin (selling machines on average 2.79% cheaper than U.S.-made alternatives) and gave Sumitomo a 0% margin. “All other” Japanese OEMs were reported at a 2.79% margin.
As a result of the affirmation, the Department of Commerce issued a new anti-dumping order on lattice boom crawler cranes directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to “assess … anti-dumping duties equal to the amount by which the normal value of the merchandise exceeds the export price (or constructed export price) of the merchandise.”
The U.S. Census Bureau reported 310 Japanese lattice boom crawler cranes were imported into the U.S. in 2024, down from 390 in 2023. Those 310 cranes were valued at $178 million.
